Saturday, December 27, 2008

You can try to shut us down, but the electricity of the soul of the street gives us more than enough power to keep coming back! We are the ones calling down the thunder... JET SET RADIO! And this is the JSRevolution!

So did you miss us? Well, things have been getting pretty busy around here, as we're getting ready for the new year. Along with debuting a new look, we will have the first mix of the new year, called the "Street Soul Mix"! This special mix will feature a lot of new and upcoming artists, along with a few that you may have heard of, to give you that special feeling about what it's like to have your voice heard. Expect it to be up next week, when we do our first post of 2009!

Now, to conclude this year, we bring to you our last Music of the Week of 2008. This band comes from Tucson, AZ, and this band has a really cool sound. I present to you: Mozart's Sister!

"In Tucson’s alternative rock music scene, dominated by male-fronted bands, Mozart’s Sister provides a breath of fresh air. This rockin’ power trio is nestled somewhere in that sweet spot between female-fronted 90’s alternative rock bands like Belly and Juliana Hatfield, and 80’s pop-rock like the Pretenders and the Motels." - Don Jennings, KXCI

Oh, don't think we're done yet! We have yet another band for you all! As an added bonus, here's a band from Los Angeles, CA with a very ambient sound. Let's hear it for Lillian's Rose!

Lillian's Rose sprang from the imagination, heart, and efforts of Musician/Song writer Christopher Valentino and Singer/Songwriter Kristine Hawkins. The two artists met in 1999 while performing live in the Orlando music scene.

It wasn't until the summer of 2005 when Chris and Kristine reunited and started collaborating on a project that would eventually evolve into Lillian's Rose. They cultivated melodies, harmonies, and rhythms they felt emanated from a true expression of their combined individuality. In December of 2006 their dedication and perseverance culminated in the completion of their self- produced CD, 11:11.

Lillian's Rose is currently hard at work bringing their music to the stage. With a strong attitude, professionalism, heart and will to succeed, Lillian's Rose continues on their journey to become an influential creative force in the world of music.

Well, that's it for this year. We hope to see you guys again back in 2009! Keep on blasting those tunes into the new year, be safe, and above all: SHAPE THE FUTURE WITH MUSIC! This is the JSRevolution, over and out!

Thursday, November 20, 2008

I know this is usually when I do a new Music of the Week post, but as it is, I'll be leaving for a SoCal vacation. Unfortunately, I'm so caught up with packing that I'm unable to do an artist highlight. But don't worry; I'll be back in two weeks with not only a new highlight, but the newest JSRevolution album, "Street Soul Mix." Be sure to check it out!

Well, I'll be signing off for two weeks now. Make sure you guys keep up the spirit of our group and Shape The Future With Music!

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Just like Marty McFly playing "Johnny B. Goode", we're ready to bring you something that really cooks! Strap in and hold on, because we're getting ready to travel to a new time... the time of JET SET RADIO, where the JSRevolution is leading the way of the future! And trust me, when we get this journey going, you're going to see some serious shit!

This week, we bring you a duo who's really starting to heat up the Japanese music scene. They're winners of the Japan Gold Disc Award, recent guests of Anime Central 2008, and special guests from this year's Japan Day Festival. Known for their work on Naruto Shippuuden and Demashitta! Powerpuff Girls Z, from Meguro, Japan, I present HALCALI!

Yucali and Halca first met in classes at their dance and talent school when they were ten years old. Both girls only intended to train in dance and wanted to eventually become back up dancers for other musicians. Eventually they were encouraged to take singing lessons as well, although it remained a secondary interest.

In 2002, Halca and Yucali spotted the poster that would lead them to the RIP SLYME audition to form a new rap group. Although they both enjoyed rap music, they originally were only interested in the audition because the poster was pink and adorable. In fact, they were so young that they couldn’t even read the kanji on the poster well enough to fully understand it. Halca and Yucali decided to give the audition a shot with a group of their friends. Originally there were five of them, all friends from their talent school, but the group quickly thinned out to the two of them.

HALCALI began a regular schedule of single releases and promotions and had a whirlwind of a first year, leading up to the release of their first album, HALCALI Bacon. Although mostly produced by O.T.F. it also began to bring in other hip hop musicians, such as the Fantastic Plastic Machine and Kohei Japan, to help with some of the tracks. The album was popular and ended up making it to number five on the Oricon album ranking. This made it the first album by a female hip-hop artist to make it into the top ten.

HALCALI has always been a completely unique Japanese musical group. Although they are just two young girls, they have proven to be a rallying point for many of the greatest minds in Japanese hip-hop today including m-flo, RHYMSTER, O.T.F., Supercar, Schadara parr, Halfby, POLYSICS, and Fantastic Plastic Machine. Even HALCALI themselves can’t really explain all the attention that they draw from the major names in the business.

Well, that's it for this week! Make sure to punch in the time circuits and can generate the 1.21 Gigawatts of electricity to power the Flux Capacitor to make it to next week's post! No matter what time period you're in, the JSRevolution will be there to help you Shape The Future With Music!

Thursday, November 6, 2008

With a brave new future on the horizon, the people will raise up and call out for a new musical revolution. And we're standing at the forefront, to Shape The Future With Music. We are your leaders of this new future known as JET SET RADIO! And we will lead the way with the JSRevolution!

First and foremost, we here at JSRevolution would like to give a big congrats to the winner of the 2008 Presidental Election, Barack Obama. Let's hope, just like the rest of you, he will Shape The Future.

Now, on to business. This week, we have a band that's been around for quite a while, with a sound that just sends chills down your spine! From Thousand Oaks, CA, let's hear it for Halifax!

Halifax was just another in a myriad of unsigned but resolute indie outfits rolling the highways and byways of North America. Sharing van space, shitty hotel rooms, bodily aromas, Old Milwaukee and a collective dream in between crappy jobs in chain restaurants and landscaping, the group recorded and supported its initial EP, A Writer’s Reference. Within a year’s time, Halifax found itself among the lower echelon of the 2004 Warped Tour, but its reputation continued to grow. By early 2005, after establishing friendships with Drive-Thru founders Richard Reines and Stefanie Reines – and bowling them over during a New Jersey gig with The Early November – the label tweaked and reissued Reference. Appending an acoustic version of the band’s beloved “Sydney,” a track Hunau scribed in tribute to his late grandfather, Halifax continued touring and building its fanbase while concocting what would become The Inevitability of a Strange World.

When Mike, Chris, Adam, and Tommy landed in Austin, Texas for the renowned South By Southwest Music Festival last year, little did they know how a routine night in the world of rock & roll coupled with a few television cameras might sensationalize their image. “A lot of people who only know us from the TV will come to our shows and think we’re drunk off our asses or something,” Hunau chuckles. “But we didn’t do anything on the show that we don’t do normally. Bands go out drinking and get drunk and have fun and hang out with friends and chicks. It’s not like we’ll play with other bands and they’ll say, ‘Oh my god! Halifax is out of control.’ Yet anyone with an objective ear might garner such a notion in a positive sense by turning to The Inevitability of a Strange World. Take the contagious, exhilarating motion of “Better Than Sex,” for instance. Here, Brandt and Charles’ machine gun riffing escalates amid Hunau’s memorable, melodic intonations. Catapulted by the rhythmic drive of Peyton and Guindon, it’s evident that Halifax deserves the attention they’ve yielded so far.

If their intentions seem simple, they also seem pure. “No matter how shitty we’re feeling, there’s redemption when we go out and rock a crowd,” the singer acknowledges. “We definitely don’t just get up there and play our songs. We have a blast every night on stage.” Like we said, Halifax can party. Listen and live in the Strange World.

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Raising up from the dead, we're the group that will never die! The infection is spreading, and with a ghoulish sound, the last words you hear is JET SET RADIO. And there's no cure, for now you are part of the JSRevolution!

As Halloween approaches, everyone's got their own plans in motion. Some are taking the little ones out for trick-or-treating. Some will stay at home with all the lights off watching horror movies. As for me, I'll be dancing to the beat with the supernatural soul of music! And in this special edition of Music of the Week, we're doing not one, but TWO highlights.

Our first band comes all the way from New York. Let's hear it for Absolution Project!

Founded in the spring and summer of 2003, Absolution Project is composed of former members of independent bands PLY and Loopus. This lineup consists of five seasoned veterans with an impressive background in the music industry. With a mix of styles and abilities, Absolution Project's sound is a diverse mix of the modern rock genre. The group's heavy rock roots are still undeniably present.

Next up is a band from south Australia. Raise your hands for Black Orchid!

Black Orchid began in January 2007 formed by guitarist/song writer Justin Hartwig formerly of Australian gothic metal band Chalice. After 9 years and 4 international releases, (“Chronicles of Dysphoria (2000)”, “An Illusion To The Temporary Real (2001)” , “Augmented (2003)”, “The Calm That Was The Storm (2006)” on Modern Invasion Music, Chalice members Sean Graetz, Simon Henderson and Mat Enright joined by keyboardist Gareth Chin and Abby Skye completed the newly formed band. With the experience gained from supporting artists such as Opeth, Mayhem, Leaves’ Eyes and touring overseas the members of Black Orchid endeavor to present their music to the world stage through the release of their debut recording Inertia. Incorporating the passion of Nightwish, the drama of Opeth and the atmospherics of Pink Floyd, Black Orchid’s “Inertia” combines all the right elements for a band on the verge of great things.

Well, I've got to return back to crypt to keep spinning these tunes. Have a Happy Halloween, and don't forget to be safe and above all, have fun! We're the JSRevolution, and we're Shaping The Future With Music!

Thursday, October 16, 2008

When things are looking their darkest, a light shines through to show the way to a new revolution in music! Back from the depths, we are JET SET RADIO! And guiding the way is the ray of hope known only as the JSRevolution!

Well, after a week hiatus, we return with a new music of the week! This week's band isn't very big on the music scene, but fans of the Gundam SEED series as well as Bleach should recognize them very well. From Japan, I present High and Mighty Color!

The band started with the members Meg and Sassy working in a Metallica cover band. The two founding members played in this band for two years before they decided that they wanted to go further with their talents than just cover songs. After leaving the band, Sassy offered Mackaz the opportunity to join, he accepted and invited long time friend Kazuto to join the band as well. Oddly, the vocalist was the final member to join the original band. Meg sat in on a school performance one day and one voice stood out to him. Meg offered Yuusuke the chance to join the band; he initially rejected this due to wanting to be a solo singer, but joined after Meg reportedly asked him to join every day for nearly four months. The band, known as Anti-Nobunaga at this time, played mainly in small coffee shops and art theaters for about a year. Sassy, the band leader, sent demo tapes to every major Japanese label, all of whom rejected the band. It was not until a small Japanese label signed the band that they found their first big break. The band was now playing areas further from their local Okinawa until they landed a spot at the yearly music festival of Okinawa.

During the summer of 2003, at a yearly music festival in Okinawa, the band's label hyped their spot and eventually they ended up playing for a sold out crowd. Due to this festival being a "per show" ticket selling one, it meant that Anti-Nobunaga was the only band to play for a sell out crowd. A scout for a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment Japan was in the crowd and offered the band the chance to produce music for an upcoming various artists album entitled Okinawa 2003. The band then composed their two and only completely original songs under the name of Anti-Nobunaga entitled Meaning and Hate You!. At another festival known as the "Music Picnic Festival", vocalist Maki also grabbed the attention of the same scout that found Anti-Nobunaga. The scout felt that both projects on their own were not remarkable, but combined, the band could be something never before seen on the Japanese music scene. Maakii first rejected the offer due to her wanting to study English abroad but was later convinced by her future band-mates to join. With the addition of Maakii the band took on a new name, High and Mighty Color (H and MC). After six months of perfecting their craft, the band was moved up from SMJ's minor label to their major label, in league with bands such as Orange Range. High and Mighty Color is some times referred to as the sister band of Orange Range, because they are both from the Okinawa area, an area known for musical fusion thanks in part to various military bases stationed there and were both discovered at the same music festival. They spent much of 2004 writing and recording, in late 2004 they released their first single, "Over" which was only sold through Tower Records stores. It sold out in the time frame of a month and became immensely scarce, thus it was re-released the next year. The album sat at number one spot of the indie Oricon charts for an entire month.

The band is relatively low key with their personal information, releasing only minuscule amounts of information over the years. Maki's real name is Maki Onaga (翁長麻紀), as was discovered as her name on the Japanese fan forums for the band. She has since confirmed that it is her real name. Kazuto's real name is Kazuto Taisano (平識和人), Mackaz's real name has been discovered to be Makkatsu Minei (嶺井政克), and Yuusuke's real name is Yuusuke Kuniyoshi (国吉祐輔). Bandmate Meg also shares the same first name as Yuusuke with a slight variation in spelling. The band's other details are kept even more private, and like most Japanese music stars, very little is known about their personal lives at all.

Be sure to keep a look out in the future JSRevolution posts, as we will reveal a brand new logo! What will it look like? You're just going to have to stay tuned to find out! As for us, we're going to keep this revolution moving! We're JSRevolution, and we're Shaping The Future With Music!

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Thursday, October 2, 2008

We're just like a couple of MAVERICKS full of ENERGY! With the sound of music in our minds, we are JET SET RADIO! And there's no debate needed for our JSRevolution!

It's time for another Music of the Week, and this is a new band that I had the great pleasure of watching live at this year's KFMA Fall Ball. From the great city of Los Angeles, I give you Drive A!

Hailing from Southern California, the members of DRIVE A have come together to forge a killer mix of pounding drums, lethal guitars, cascading bass lines and fierce vocals that converge to create a sound that pays respect to the past, stands up to the present and will kick down the door to the future. A switchblade to the soft, white underbelly of today's watered-down state of music, DRIVE A are pure, raw energy - on stage and in the studio - which is, after all, what Rock 'N' Roll has always been about.

Lead singer and guitarist Bruno Mascolo started off teaching himself his favorite songs on guitar, but his ambition reached well beyond merely playing what someone else has written. “It’s cool to learn how to play those songs, but the point of being an artist is playing your own music,” says Drive A’s main songwriter.

“I’d hear other kids talking about bands, or I’d watch TV and they would say something about Green Day or AC/DC and eventually I’d check them out,” Bruno remembers. “What I found was really cool and I liked those bands a lot more than mainstream pop-rock.”

Drive A got its start when Bruno hooked up with rhythm guitarist Jason Nott and the two began developing their own style and a bond was formed. Once they honed their approach, the two hooked up with Ashton Moio on bass and Terry Stirling on drums. With all the pieces in place, the four began writing songs that had a remarkably developed blend of killer riffs, punk rock hooks, and a raw, Rock ‘N’ Roll gutter-snarl.

Friday, September 26, 2008

Some call us a disturbance. Some call us a godsend. On the border of Heaven and Hell, we will be there when worlds collide! This is your very own underground musical informant JET SET RADIO! And in this world of Light and Darkness, we're the nexus of chaos known as JSRevolution!

So this week's Music of the Week is going to be one of the new bands who I discovered while surfing online. They're a new type of group with a fresh new sound that I think you'll all enjoy. From Portland, Oregon... I give you Ego and The Ids!

Boasting a sonic pallet of influences as diverse as the alchemical process the band defines as their own, Ego and the Ids count among their musical sires such alt-rock legends as Cocteau Twins, Dead Can Dance, Concrete Blonde, Leonard Cohen, Human Drama, The Misfits, Sisters of Mercy, NIN, The Cult, Joy Division, The Cure, Velvet Underground, Pink Floyd, and U2. According to project mastermind Gerald del Campo - a veteran of popular Portland alt-rockers Trick Sensei - Ego and the Ids' music is further "inspired by metaphysics, religion, the occult and the mystical chase of our idealized selves."

Named after jargon popularized by psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud, the band describes their driving philosophy: "I think my musical aspirations have a lot to do with my feelings about being more than human. Oftentimes when someone does something terrible, we blow it off to human nature - as if there is nothing that could be done about it and that we simply need to accept it. And yet we fail to recognize that same human nature when humans create beauty for its own sake, or involve themselves in great acts of compassion at a heavy personal cost. Everyone notices when one does something wrong, but no one seems to notice when one does something right. I want to remind people of the things that are right within us. Music is a tool that can be used to speak to our fans' inner selves."

The group defines their sound as "melodic, orchestral and experimental." del Campo shares the band's broader creative ambitions in "using music to evoke mental images of life, death and everything in between, always taking the time to show the grandeur of the human experience. This project wasn't created to make money, but as an exercise in creation for its own sake. We would like to get our music into as many hands as possible - for free. If the feedback we receive from our efforts are positive, there will, of course, be more." As Ego and the Ids gets underway recording their debut LP, you can find Ids founder Gerald del Campo playing with Trick Sensei, who recently released Sessions: Notes from a free Cascadia in 2007. Trick Sensei are currently writing for their sophomore LP.

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

The future isn’t written in stone. The future is what you make it to be. But there will always be someone there in the present to take away your future. That’s where we come in.

Free expression is what this country is based off of. And one of those ways to express who you are is through music. The heart and soul of all these artists calls out to the masses to have their voices heard. And we’re going to be there to make sure they listen.

Join the revolution and play these tunes loud. Fill the streets with music, and get their souls moving. And when people tell you to turn down that music, you crank it up! Don’t let society silence your soul!